Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was a man of many talents; in fact, he had so many talents that Thomas Jefferson called him “the greatest man of the age and country in which he lived." When someone as brilliant as Thomas Jefferson calls you the greatest then you are something special. Benjamin Franklin was a writer, printer, inventor, a statesman, and a great scientist just to name a few accomplishments Franklin achieved while he was alive. Benjamin Franklin not only improved the lives of the people of the world with his brilliant mind, his ideas and inventions still benefit the world over 270 years later. (Block, 2006)
Benjamin Franklin’s first invention was a stove or a fireplace this invention in my opinion is one of his finest. The Pennsylvania Fireplace as it was called at the time would not only improve on the
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current open air fireplaces of the times, it would create an entire new demension in evening life during the 18th century. With the open air fire places you would have to gather around the fire to be warmed by it’s heat and to use it as a light source. With the new fireplace that Franklin had invented you could build a fire and get it hot enough to heat an entire room and have the smoke escape out the ventilation shaft instead of smoking up the room. This allowed families to be able to move around the room and go about their business of the house without having to huddle around a fire. You could also set food or beverages ontop of the fireplace and use it as a stove to heat. Growing up I have had both open fireplaces and an inclosed “insert” fireplace and to imagine going from an open fireplace in the winter to a Pennsylvania Fireplace must have been an absolute dream come true to the families that used his fireplace. Benjamin Franklin also solved a personal issue of his and while doing so helped countless numbers of people in the process. His problem was always having to carry around 2 pairs of glasses for reading and for seeing distance. His solution to the problem was to cut the lenses in half and combine the two making a pair of Bifocal Glasses. These glasses would have helped anyone with vision problems and having to carry around regular glasses and a pair of reading glasses. Franklins original design of the bifocal glasses are still being used today. Benjamin Franklin committed a considerable amount of his life working as a scientist and researcher in the field of electricity.
Most people growing up have seen the iconic image of Franklin and his son holding the string of a kite while in a thunderstorm. This experiment allowed him to prove the electrical nature of lightening by trapping it in a jar. Another great invention of his was the lightening rod which would allow a building or structure to take a lightening strike and not burn to the ground. The theory behind this invention was to have a pointed metal rod pointed into the air and have a wire attached to it running to the ground. Doing this would allow the electricity from the lightening strike to follow the wire and safely into the ground. These rods are still being utilized today on all types of structures (Chaplin, 2007).
While Benjamin Franklin was a great inventor and scientist, he was also a statesman and Founding Father to this great nation. He was a diplomat that and a key figure in obtaining peace with Great Britian. He was a postmaster general and helped reshape the postal service making it more efficient and
profitable. Benjamin Franklin was an incridible gift from God to this world, he improved the quality of living for all citizens during his lifetime and for generations after. I have personally benefitted from his inventions as well as my family. Lightening Rods on some of the houses I grew up in saved us from fire, my mother uses bifocal glasses when she is at home reading and watching tv, as I mentioned before closed fireplaces have been a blessing in the cold winter months. With every little comfort we enjoy in life it was invented by someone at some point, the next time you think about something that makes your life a little easier it might be worth it to look into who got the ball rolling with the first design of the invention. You may be surprised and see Benjamin Franklins name.
Ben Franklin was born in Boston on a Sunday in January of 1706. His father was a candle maker and had many sons. Ben from a young age was a very adventurous boy, he was often getting in trouble. As a teen Ben Franklin went to work with his brother as a newspaper printer. Ben was in love with books and wanted to write a column in his brothers paper. He and his brother argued several times and Ben ran away to New York but soon ended up in Philadelphia running his own newspaper company. Ben Franklin was a scientist and inventor, we’ve all heard about Ben with electricity. Ben Franklin was also a major founding father of the constitution and was viewed as a very patriotic person.
Benjamin Franklin was a remarkably talented man. He started his life as a printers apprentice, but went much farther then there. He developed things that were far more advanced than the time. Benjamin Franklin's stove for example, for cold winter nights, and bifocal lenses for reading. Franklin tracked storms to help understand the horrible weather endured by the colonies. But gis study of electricity made him mist famous and he was known world wide as the founder of the lightning rod. Not only was Benjamin Franklin helpful in developing ideas for better living, he was also a strong force in developing the new nation of America. Benjamin Franklins political views showed him to be a man who loved freedom and independence. His views towards England gradually changed from like to dislike until he finally
Franklin also assisted in the development of streetlights. Before, streetlights were not as useful due to its flawed structure. Franklin changed the sculpture of the streetlights from a rounded glass to a square-like glass, which made the lights durable and eventually assisted in efficient lighting system for the city. This became vital part in lowering the crime rate and improving the lives of many people. In addition, Benjamin Franklin was a great writer and excellent thinker who improved the printing press. (Quote)
He published Poor Richard’s Almanac at the end of 1732, which was a huge success. The almanac contained weather, poetry, advice, recipes, astronomical information, and much more; he continued to publish it for 25 years. He organized the Union Fire Company to protect against dangerous fire hazards. He also innovated with the invention of the Franklin stove, which was a stove that provided more heat with less fuel. “By 1748, the 42-year-old Ben had become one of the richest men in Pennsylvania. He turned his business over to a partner to give him more time to conduct scientific experiments.” (Paragraph 12) He moved into a new house and acquired slaves to work around the house, but his views on slavery evolved to where he considered it evil, and then freed his slaves in the 1760s. He joined the Pennsylvania militia at age 42. His interest in electricity grew and he began experimenting on electricity. He conducted experiments and recorded them into a book called “Experiments and Observations on Electricity.” He is most famous for his kite-key experiment in 1752 to prove there was electricity in light. He is also credited to the invention of bifocal glasses, the rocking chair, and the American penny. “His self-education earned him honorary degrees from Harvard, Yale, England’s Oxford University and Scotland’s University of St. Andrews in
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is a representation of the new prospect of upward mobility in colonial America during the 18th century and the development of the Age of Reason, which assisted in the conception of the idea of the “American Dream”; a dream that includes fundamentally social ideals such as democracy, equality, and material prosperity. Furthermore, Franklin’s autobiography exemplifies a significant shift in focus from religion to enlightenment and reason. Additionally, there were forces specific to Benjamin Franklin's Philadelphia, that played an important role in his perspectives and the changes that occurred within colonial America during the 18th century.
In The Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin recounts the many paramount experiences throughout his life that shaped him into great American figure he was known to be. On the opening page, Franklin reveals the book’s epistolary format by writing, “Dear Son,” going on to admit that he’s made some mistakes in the past and to recollect that past is a way to relive it. By divulging his desire to “change some sinister Accidents & Events” (Franklin 3) the author indicates how important it is for his son to observe as he amends his mistakes. Pride, virtue and vanity play a pivotal role in Benjamin Franklin’s life and the way he portrays himself to others. Instances occur where the author is shown gloating about his great accomplishments and he puts emphasis on his need to live a virtuous and morally perfect life. Throughout his story, Benjamin Franklin tells his son of his many virtuous acts and momentous achievements, motivating the question as to whether he seeks his own approval more so than the approval of his peers.
Benjamin Franklin had one of the greatest impacts on American society in history. He served and improved the Continental Congress, he created inventions that are still crucial to life today, and he gave the United States its freedom. Knowledgeable people believe that Benjamin Franklin is one of the most extraordinary people to ever live he is a true idol, an icon, a hero.
Benjamin Franklin is considered to be one of the most well-known Founding Fathers, as he helped in writing the Declaration of Independence and the very first Constitution of the United States. Who was he other than a man who fought for colonist’s rights however? Franklin was a brilliant inventor who created many innovating and life changing mechanisms, such as the world’s very first almanac, bifocals, and the lightning rod. He was also a major figure in the American Enlightenment, which restored art, science and music, spreading moral philosophy all across the colonies. Although he was never elected to the role of President of the United States, Franklin served in several other parts, such as the first postmaster general for the colonies in
"Of two things you can be certain; death and taxes," quoted Benjamin Franklin. Having a humorous outlook on life, Franklin tried to make others' lives better. Benjamin was a man who served others and tried to make the world its best until his death. Benjamin Franklin had many accomplishments. He had a busy and eventful life, he played a major role in defending his country, and he was known for his quotes. Franklin was always working to make something better.
Benjamin Franklin was a very prominent figure in shaping our nation. Many people look at him as a role model or just as an amazing individual. He had his faults just like every human being had, and he shouldn’t be discredited because of a few minor glitches to his character. As being the only person that had signed The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and the Treaty of Paris, this immediately separates him from all others. One of the things that he wrote about in Benjamin Franklin: The Autobiography and Other Writings, was trying to be the ideal person, and even made a list of virtues to live by. His virtues were very important to his lifestyle, and he followed them to a great extent.
Benjamin Franklin is known for conducting lots of experiments dealing with electricity. His most famous being the kite experiment. He became fascinated with electricity when he was accidently shocked in 1746. Benjamin wondered if there was a way to protect buildings and the people inside of them from lightning. He thought that this could benefit people in the
At a time of hardship and human progression in North America especially in the 1700’s one name specifically shines out amongst all others. That name is Benjamin Franklin; a visionary inventor, politician, and true American hero.
Benjamin Franklin is one of the most influential and famous figures of all time. Ben Franklin if often referred to as the "self-made man," and his philosophies and principles in the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, edited by Louis P. Masur, has served as a self-help book for millions around the world. Franklin's Autobiography is a prime example of the American dream, a rag to riches story that has inspired many people to think of themselves and the community in a different light. Franklin's moral and social philosophies are packed deeply into his Autobiography. Franklin believed that improving ones self was the key to success. Self-improvement, self-education, and self-discipline are the main factors of a self-made man. Improving yourself will ultimately improve the society as a whole. Franklin speaks of principality and inclination. His idea was to produce the principle man with the awareness of man's natural inclination. Throughout the text Franklin provides examples from his own life that contradicts his moral and social philosophies. These contradictions are mostly caused by natural inclinations. Franklin uses these contradictions to educate people to be aware of their natural inclinations and to try and overcome them. Franklin's realizes that improving oneself is a road with many imperfections. Not even the "self-made man" was completely perfect.
Benjamin Franklin was a scholar and lexicographer, a representative of the American Enlightenment, ideologist of the national liberation movement. It should be noted that Franklin was one of the most active participants of the struggle of American people for independence. He condemned slavery and ardently defended the rights of American national minorities.
Thomas (Alva) Edison was one of America’s most important and famous inventors. Edison was born into a time and place where there wasn’t much technological advancements. His inventions helped a lot of things quickly change in the world. His inventions contributed to many inventions today such as the night light, movies, telephones, and records and CDs.